Research at our department spans across a wide range of animals including vertebrates, arthropods, and lophotrochozoans. These are analyzed using various morphological and molecular methods, including immunolabeling, advanced light and confocal microscopy, 3D reconstruction, high speed video analysis, electron microscopy, and gene expression studies. The data generated are used in integrative and comparative approaches to elucidate body plan evolution, development, functional morphology, ecomorphology and phylogeny of non-model organisms.

Weber AV, Wanninger A & SchwahaTFThe nervous system of Paludicella articulata - first evidence of a neuroepithelium in a ctenostome ectoproct.Frontiers in Zoology 2014, 11:89, published: 10 December 2014doi:10.1186/s12983-014-0089-2

Blanke, A., Machida, R., Szucsich, N. U., Wilde, F. and Misof, B.Mandibles with two joints evolved much earlier in the history of insects: dicondyly is a synapomorphy of bristletails, silverfish and winged insects.Systematic Entomology. doi: 10.1111/syen.12107